Battling invasive species is on the agenda for the Pacific Islands

The Pacific Invasive Alien Species Advisory Group is being formed to help ensure enhanced plans of action for battling invasive species across the region and across different sectors.

A Terms of Reference for the Advisory Group was drafted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the UNEP sub-regional office.

This Advisory group was requested by the Pacific Island Forum Leaders and once established will strengthen collaboration between the Council of Regional Agencies of the Pacific to provide cross-sector advice to the Leaders as invasive species management is naturally across-cutting issue.

The new UNEP sub regional office will enable SPREP and UNEP to work in closer collaboration on regional invasive species initiatives such as those defined in the Samoa Pathway document, approved in Samoa at the Small Island Developing States Conference. This document is the first to originate from a SIDS conference with invasive species having its own specific section.